The Courtship Basket (11 page)

“Really?” John's eyes widened as he turned toward Mike. “Maybe you can get us more pies from your
schweschder
.”

Rachel chuckled. “I can get you more pies.” She turned toward Mike. “That's as long as it's okay with you.”

Mike nodded. “I enjoyed the pie also. I'll have to give you some money for them.”

“No, no.” Rachel shook her head. “Veronica frequently brings us several pies, and I'm
froh
to share them with you.”

Mike nodded slowly and looked at her as if she were an intricate math problem. “
Danki
.”

They ate in silence again for a few minutes, and John grabbed a third slice of pizza.

“I think you should slow down,” Mike said, placing his hand on John's arm. “You might get a stomachache if you eat too much.”

John placed the piece back in the box. “Could we have the brownies now?”

Rachel bit the inside of her lip to stop her threatening smile. She glanced at Mike, and a smile slowly spread across his lips. She was surprised by how his handsome face lit up. She hoped to see that more. She smiled at him, and something special passed between them. She hoped it was friendship.

Mike pushed back his chair. “I'll get the brownies.”

“No, I will.” Rachel popped up and retrieved the pan, then located a knife from the block on the kitchen counter. She sliced a small rectangular brownie and placed it on John's plate.

“Could we have ice cream too?” John asked.

“Michael!” a weak, gravelly voice called. “Michael!”

Mike jumped up. “Excuse me. I'll be right back.” He disappeared through the doorway.

“That's
mei dat
,” John said. “He's sick. He has to have dialysis three times a week. It makes him really tired, and he can't eat much.” He pointed toward the refrigerator. “Do you think we can add ice cream to the brownies? My cousin Janie brought some vanilla over last week.”

“Oh.” Rachel paused. “I don't know if Mike would approve.”

John nodded with emphasis. “Oh, he will. Mike likes ice cream.”

Rachel bit the side of her lip to stop another smile. Should she allow John to have ice cream? What if Mike disapproved and he asked her to leave? It seemed as if they were finally becoming friends. She looked at John, and he gave her puppy-dog eyes.

“Please, Rachel?” He tilted his head. “I promise Mike won't be upset with you. He lets me have ice cream on weekends.”

“All right.” Rachel located a carton of vanilla ice cream in the freezer and brought it to the table, along with three bowls and spoons.

As John dropped his brownie into a bowl and smothered it in vanilla ice cream, Rachel grinned. He'd apparently made a brownie sundae before.

“Are you going to make one?” he asked with a mouthful of brownie and ice cream.

“
Ya
, I will.” She cut a small brownie, put it into one of the bowls, and dropped a few small scoops of ice cream on top of it. She savored the sweet taste as she chewed the first bite, then swallowed. “It's fantastic.”

“I told you.” He grinned. “So what is your favorite dessert?”

Rachel thought about the question while enjoying another bite. “I suppose it's ice cream.”

“
Ya
, that's mine too.” John shoveled in more of the vanilla treat. “Do you eat dessert every night?”

“I try not to,” Rachel admitted. “But it's difficult since
mei dat
likes dessert. I usually give in to the temptation.”

“Do you live on a farm?” John asked.

“We have a small farm, but
mei dat
owns a harness shop. It's called the Bird-in-Hand Harness Shop, and it's on our property.”

“Oh.” John was thoughtful for a moment as he stared at his half-eaten sundae. “
Mei dat
and
onkel
own Bird-in-Hand Builders, but
mei dat
can't work there anymore. Mike works there.”

“I know,” Rachel said. “Do you think you'll want to work there someday?”

“Oh
ya
.” John nodded. “I love working with wood.
Mei dat
was starting to show me how to make a wishing well, but then he got really sick. Hopefully he can help me finish it someday soon when he's better. The dialysis makes him feel horrible, but he needs to have it to live.” He suddenly smiled. “But someday he's going to be better, and he's going to work with me in the woodshop out in the
barn. Mike is going to work with us too, and we'll all finish the wishing well.”

Rachel's heart squeezed, and she fought back the tears threatening her eyes. She silently prayed his father would get well so they could finish the wishing well together. “I'm certain you will,” she said softly.

The sound of wheels moving across the floor drew their eyes to the doorway, where Mike was pushing their father in a wheelchair.

“
Dat!
” John leaped from the chair and rushed over to the wheelchair. “Rachel came to visit and brought pizza and brownies. Would you like a brownie?”

“
Ya
,” Raymond said, his voice thin and shaky. “I would like one.”

John rushed over to the table and pushed away the chair next to his. “You can sit by me,
Dat
!”

Mike pushed the wheelchair over to the table, and Rachel nodded at the older man.

“How are you?” she asked as she cut a brownie for him.

“Tired.” Raymond smiled, and for a moment Rachel felt as if she were looking into Mike's face. The Lantz boys had inherited their father's kind features and smile.

“It's
gut
to see you,” Rachel said as she pushed the brownie over to Raymond. “I'm sorry you can't eat the pizza I brought, but I'm thankful that you can enjoy the brownies.” She felt someone staring at her, and she looked up to find Mike watching her with a curious expression.

“
Danki
for the
wunderbaar
meals you sent over this week,” Raymond said. “We've enjoyed them.”

“
Gern gschehne
.” She smiled and then looked at Mike again. “Do you want a brownie sundae?”

“That sounds
gut
.” Mike took a seat beside his father.

As Mike seemed to be watching his father's every move, Rachel made his sundae and passed it across the table to him.

“
Danki
.” Mike pushed his spoon through the dessert and took a bite. “This is
wunderbaar
.”

“I'm glad you like it,” Rachel said.

As they all continued to eat, John entertained them with stories about the animals on the farm. Rachel found herself smiling and laughing, and she frequently noticed Mike looking at her. She wondered what he thought of her. Had he forgiven her for arguing with him or did he still resent her? She longed to know if he considered her a friend.

When their bowls were empty, Rachel stood, gathered up the dishes, and went to the sink.

“You don't need to do the dishes,” Mike said, carrying the pizza box to the counter. “I'll do them later.”

“Oh, I don't mind.” She began to fill the sink with hot water.

“It's really not necessary,” Mike insisted. He sidled up to her and gestured toward his brother, who was talking to their
dat
. “I'm certain you have to go home soon. Why don't you read with John? I need to get
mei dat
settled.”

“Oh. That's a
gut
idea.” So he wanted her to leave soon. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, but she understood. This visit was John's idea, and Mike was most likely eager for her to leave so they could spend the rest of their Saturday as a family. “I'll get started on the schoolwork now.”

As Mike wheeled his father out of the kitchen, Rachel went to the table, retrieved the reading and math books from her tote bag, and then sat next to John. “What would you like to work on first?” she asked him.

John tapped his lips with his finger and then pointed at the math book. “How about math?”

“Sounds
gut
.” Rachel opened the book to the most recent lesson. As she began asking John about the math problem, Rachel hoped Mike would be happy with her work with John and would realize how sorry she was for the horrible things she'd said to him.

“M
ICHAEL
,”
D
AT
BEGAN
, “
WOULD YOU PLEASE PUSH ME INTO
the
schtupp
? I'd like to read for a while.”

“
Ya
, of course.” Mike pushed
Dat
into the family room, lifted him from the wheelchair into his favorite recliner, and handed him the latest copy of the
Budget
.

Once his father was settled, he moved back to the doorway leading to the kitchen. He leaned against the doorframe for a moment and watched Rachel work with his brother. Sitting beside John, she spoke softly while encouraging him to solve a math problem. When John said the correct answer, she cheered and clapped her hands. Then she leaned in close to him and squeezed his shoulder while he worked on another math problem.

The tenderness in Rachel's expression caused Mike's heart to feel as though it were turning over in his chest. He was still surprised to see her so eager to help John and so focused on him after the way she'd behaved that day at his work. He stood quietly and watched them for a moment, silently marveling at her expertise and tenderness.

When Mike finally stepped into the kitchen, one of the floorboards squeaked under his weight, and Rachel lifted her eyes to meet his. She sat up straight and gave him a nervous smile as her porcelain cheeks flushed, nearly matching her rose-colored dress. Her eyes were a deep brown, matching the dark hair peeking out from under her prayer covering. She was pretty. Very pretty.

Whoa
.

Mike mentally pushed away the thought. Rachel was John's teacher, and he didn't have time to even consider liking a
maedel
, let alone dating one. His focus was on his father and his brother. He couldn't afford the distraction of a
maedel
right now.

“Mike,” she said quickly. “I didn't see you standing there.”

“I didn't mean to startle you.” Mike crossed the kitchen. “I'll be outside finishing my chores.”

“Can Rachel stay for supper?” John asked, throwing an eager expression over his shoulder at Mike.

Mike was speechless for a moment as he pondered his brother's admiration for Rachel. He didn't want to disappoint John, but he also didn't want to lead Rachel on by inviting her for supper too. He had to draw the line somewhere with his brother's attachment to her, but how could he say no without hurting John's feelings or offending Rachel?

“Oh,
danki
, John, but I can't stay tonight,” Rachel began while looking embarrassed. “I appreciate the offer, but I have to get home in a little bit.
Mei schweschder
Emily is doing all my chores today, and I need to get home to help her. I promised her I'd be home in time to make supper.”

“Oh.” John's smile crumbled for a moment, but then his expression brightened again. “Maybe you can stay another time.” He turned toward Mike for his approval.

“Sure,” Mike said as relief coursed through him. He was thankful Rachel said no and didn't make him look mean in his brother's eyes.

“That would be nice,” Rachel said to him and then gave his brother an adoring expression.

Admiration spread through Mike once again. The warmth that passed between Rachel and John astounded him. Rachel instructed John to look at the next math problem, and Mike quickly exited
the kitchen and went out the back door, pulling on his jacket as he walked down the back steps.

He ambled up the rock pathway toward the large barn. When he entered the barn, the aroma of animals wafted over him. He passed the stalls and went to the small shop in the back of the barn. During the past several months, the shop had become his escape from the stress of his father's illness. It was the one place where he could be alone with his thoughts and prayers.

It was also his solace after a long day of working at Bird-in-Hand Builders and then coming home to fulfill the role of his father's caregiver and his brother's guardian. Sometimes he snuck out to the shop to tinker for a few minutes after John and
Dat
were both tucked into their beds for the night. Working with wood, especially when it wasn't to fulfill customer orders, always relaxed Mike and helped him release some of the worry and stress that burdened him daily.

The smell of wood dust was overpowering as he stepped into the small shop. He flipped on the Coleman lanterns, splashing the soft yellow light into the room. An array of tools cluttered his long workbench. A pile of wood sat in the corner, beckoning him to transform it into something useful.

Mike sat down on the stool in front of the workbench and examined the three-tiered shelf he'd been working on for the past week. He wasn't certain what he would do with the shelf when it was complete, but creating it had been cathartic.

He took a piece of sandpaper from the drawer under the bench and began to sand the shelf as he reflected on Rachel. He was overwhelmed by the way John had taken to her. He'd gone from hating school to inviting his teacher over to visit, and he owed the transformation entirely to Rachel. What had caused her to change her mind about John? Was her change of heart genuine or just a means of survival?

As he sanded the shelf for the next hour, his thoughts turned again and again to John and how much he'd improved in his schoolwork. It was a miracle, a blessing for certain.

A knock drew his attention to the doorway. Rachel gave him a little wave, and her expression was tentative, possibly even a little nervous.

“I was wondering if I could use your phone,” she finally said, hugging her black sweater to her middle. “I need to call my driver and see if he can pick me up soon. John and I were working on his reading, and then I happened to look at the clock in your kitchen and saw how late it's getting.”

“Oh, of course.” Mike dropped the sandpaper onto the desk beside the shelf. “The phone is by the entrance to the barn.”

“
Danki
. What are you making?” She stepped over to the bench and examined the shelf. “That's lovely.” She smiled at him, and he could smell the hint of her flowery shampoo. “Are you going to hang it in the
schtupp
?”

He shrugged. “I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with it yet.”

“You could put books on it,” Rachel suggested, running a thin finger over the dusty wood. “Or maybe even candles and special little trinkets.” She looked embarrassed. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tell you what to do with your shelf.”

He nodded slowly. “I think it's a
gut
idea.”

Rachel started for the door, then stopped in the doorway and faced him. “John is reading a chapter in the book I brought, so I thought I'd call my driver and then finish up with him. He's done really well today. I see a big improvement in his reading skills.”

“
Danki
,” he said. “You've been a great help to him. I appreciate it.”

Her face clouded. “I want to apologize again. I was out of line that day I came to your shop and complained about him.” She
wrung her hands as she spoke. “John is a
gut bu
, and I enjoy working with him. I never should've confronted you, and Malinda had warned me not to do it. Both Emily and Malinda told me my stubbornness got the best of me, and they were right.”

Rachel's pink lips quivered, and Mike held his breath, hoping she wouldn't cry. He couldn't stand to see women cry. It made him uncomfortable, and he never knew what to say.

“I'm just too outspoken for my own good,” she continued. “I'm really sorry for everything I said. I hope you can forgive me.”

“It's forgiven,” he said, wiping his hands on his trousers, brushing away the wood dust. “It's our way to forgive, so you shouldn't have worried about it at all.”

She sniffed and swiped her fingers over her eyes. Tension hung in the air between them. He gritted his teeth.
Please don't cry
.

“I know it's our way to forgive,” Rachel continued with another sniff, “but people don't always forget. I was just frustrated, but then I realized
I
was the real problem.” She pointed to her chest. “I needed to be a better teacher instead of blaming John for the problems he was having. I decided to just do my best and encourage him instead of blaming you for the problems.” She paused as if contemplating her thoughts. “I've been concerned that every time you look at me, you'll think about the awful things I said to you. I didn't mean them.”

“You should stop worrying about it,” he said. “It's not important. John is doing better, and that's what matters.”

As she wiped away a tear, he sighed. He needed to apologize too, and now was as good a time as any.

“I owe you an apology also.” Mike leaned against the workbench. “I shouldn't have lost my temper with you.”

Rachel shook her head and sniffed. “No, I deserved it.”

“No, you didn't.” Mike grimaced. “
Mei dat
wouldn't have been
froh
with me if he'd heard me yell at a
maedel
the way I did. So I'm sorry too.”

She nodded and then gave him a shy smile. “I suppose I should call my driver now.”

He nodded. “All right.”

“
Danki
.” She hesitated for a moment. “Would it be all right with you if I come back to tutor John again next Saturday? I think the one-on-one without the distractions of the rest of the class is really helpful for him. He can concentrate better when it's just him and me.”

“
Ya
,” he said. “That would be fine. I'll pay you to tutor him.”

“That's not necessary.” She jammed a thumb toward the front of the barn. “I'm going to go call my ride.”

“All right.”

She padded across the hay toward the front of the barn. As she disappeared from view, an awkward feeling settled over Mike. Was it rude for him to stay in his workshop? Should he have led her to the front of the barn and showed her where to find the phone, or would it have been ruder for him to hover over her?

He ran his hand down his face, then returned to sanding.

Why was he so uncomfortable around
maed
? Was it because he hadn't had a girlfriend since he was a teenager? But Rachel wasn't his girlfriend; she was John's teacher. All the same, Rachel was a guest in his home, and Mike needed to be friendly and make her feel comfortable. Why did he feel as self-conscious as a teenager when he attempted to make conversation with her? He didn't have any hesitation when he spoke to his cousins.

But they were family. Rachel was a stranger.

“My driver will be here in about fifteen minutes,” she said, suddenly appearing in the doorway again. She stepped over to him and studied the shelf again. “Who taught you how to work with wood?”

“
Mei dat
.” He dropped the sandpaper on the bench and cleaned his hands with a rag. “He learned from his
dat
.”

“And your
dat
owns Bird-in-Hand Builders, right?” she asked, perching on the stool across from him. It was the stool where his
dat
used to sit when they worked on projects together before his kidney disease progressed.

“
Ya
,” Mike said, studying the shelf while he spoke. “He and his
bruder
, Timothy, started the business about thirty years ago.
Mei onkel,
my cousin Sam, and I still work there, along with a few
freinden
.
Mei dat
worked there until he was too ill.”

He ran his finger over the shelf. “I've always loved to work with wood. I work with it all day, and I sometimes come out here to relax by working on my own projects. When my days get too stressful, it helps me. I even come out here late at night when I can't sleep. Tossing and turning in my bed doesn't help me, but coming out here does. It's like my private therapy, I suppose.” The revelation surprised him. He'd never opened up to a
maedel
this way. He glanced up and found her watching him, her bottomless brown eyes full of sympathy.

“When did your
dat
become ill?” she asked, folding her hands on her lap.

“He was diagnosed with kidney disease three years ago,” Mike said. “It came as a surprise since it's not hereditary. They think it was environmental, that he came in contact with a chemical that caused it. The disease progressed quickly, and he went on dialysis about six months ago.”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” She shook her head. “How often does he have to do dialysis?”

“He has treatments at the dialysis center three mornings a week. My cousin Marie usually goes with him so I can work.” Mike's fingers sought the edge of the workbench as he reflected on how the dialysis affected his father. “The treatments purify his blood and clear the toxins out of his body, but they wear him out. Some days he comes home and just sleeps. It saps the life right out
of him. It's difficult for me to see him so frail, but I know he needs the treatments to live.”

“Can he get a kidney transplant?” Rachel's expression was full of hope, and it sent warmth coursing through his soul.

“Unfortunately, no.” He shook his head. “I've offered to be tested as a possible donor, but
mei dat
isn't strong enough to endure the surgery. His heart is too weak. The doctors have said
Dat
will live longer if he stays on dialysis.”

“
Ach
, that's so
bedauerlich
,” she said softly. She was silent for a moment, as if she were mulling over the information about his father. “It must be a challenge for you to have to take care of your
dat
and your
bruder
. You're carrying an enormous load for your family.”

“My cousins help.” He shrugged off her comment as if it weren't a big deal at all. “You've met Marie. She and her
schweschder
take turns coming over. They've been helping me for years. Their
mamm
also helps if they aren't available.
Mei mammi
lived with us after John was born. She raised him until she passed away a couple of years ago. My cousins took over after she was gone.”